The Real Beast
by WerewolfDuelistofSliferRed
Summary: A wolf has been killing animals around Nowhere, and one night a girl is caught in a trap meant for it. But with her having a fear of other humans, she'll only talk to Courage. Can he figure out her mysterious past, as well as help her with her fear?


_I don't own Courage the cowardly dog_

normal

_thought_

**flashback**

**_dream_**

It was a cool, gray-skyed day in the middle of Nowhere, and a small purple and black dog named Courage was currently staring out the window watching his elderly master, Eustace, put out a snare trap for some sort of animal. He could hear him speaking.

"Hehe, that wolf's sure to get trapped in this here snare! When it does, I'll turn it in to the police and collect that juicy million dollar reward!" he said. Courage had heard of the supposedly rabid wolf that had been running around Nowhere and had killed several animals, but these animals weren't just killed. They had been ripped to pieces and not one had been eaten. The police had deemed it a danger to the public and were offering a million dollar reward to anyone who could catch it and bring it back,dead or alive. However, it had been three months, and no one had caught it yet. Eustace was currently baiting his snare (which his other master, Muriel, hated because she thought it was cruel, and frankly so did Courage) with raw meat. Eustace gave one last laugh before going back into the small farmhouse. Courage shook his head.

_Oh, why can't he just set up a cage or a net? If that wolf gets trapped in that thing, it'll be strangled. Even if it is rabid, that wolf doesn't deserve such a slow death._

**_Later that night_**

The full moon's light luminated the sleeping faces of Eustace, Muriel, and Courage as the snare waited patiently for an animal to trap. It didn't have to wait long, for soon it was around a neck and it's captive was crying out with sounds of agony and rage that struck so much fear into the house's residents that they froze until the next morning.

As the golden light peeked over the horizon, Eustace got up to see if what had cried in the night had been the wolf in his trap.

"Courage, why don't you go with Eustace. If it's not the wolf, let it go," she told him, whispering the last part. The two walked out, and they saw that whatever had been in the snare had moved behind the cellar door, and was currently moaning. Slowly, Courage walked around and screamed. Stuck in the snare and pouring blood from the nose and mouth, was a young girl, who was struggling for breath.

"How did you get in there?" Courage asked.

"Took meat... blood... gonna die... can't get out... trapped... never get out... black dog will come... I will go... breathe no longer... see no longer... hear no longer," she struggled to get this out, then started flailing around. Courage saw the peg in the ground and dug it out, releasing the hysterical child. Still panting, she passed out. Eustace came around and got a look of anger on his face.

"Stupid dog! Look at my snare!" he yelled, taking out a scary mask and yelling, scaring Courage and earning him a punch in the face from the now conscious girl. She passed out again right after, and Eustace went in, grumbling, while Courage stayed by her side.

Inside the house, Muriel asked Eustace what had been in the trap while he watched tv.

"Eh, some kid. That dumb dog ruined my trap!" he yelled, before being hit on the head by his wife's rolling pin.

"Ow! What'd I do?"

"You trapped a child in your snare and you didn't help them? For shame Eustace!" she yelled. 

"The dog let her out, and she punched me!" he said.

"I don't blame her, now I'm going to go see if she's all right," Muriel said, walking out the door. She found the girl awake and petting Courage, but when she saw Muriel, she ran and hid behind the cellar door.

"It's ok child, I won't hurt you," she said.

"You're lying... everyone hurts... like the man... no one is safe... everyone will die... the black dog... black... dog..." she said before falling unconscious again. Courage saw that her fear had caused her to start bleeding again. Muriel picked her up and carried her inside, putting her in Eustace's empty chair, and Courage laid beside her on the floor. When he came back from thr kitchen, he was less than pleased.

"What's that kid doing in _my _chair?!" he yelled.

"Resting after what _you _did to her," she said, while Courage growled. The girl awoke suddenly at the sound and starting shaking.

"The men... dear God the men... blood... blood everywhere... can't run... fur everywhere... howls of agony... the air is bad... Brother no... don't try to save... be killed..." she said. Muriel picked her up and she instantly scratched her arm before passing out again.

"This girl's gone through more than we know," Muriel said before carrying her up to the attic, where she slept the rest of the night, Courage by her side. 


End file.
